3 - (17beta - hydroxy - 7alpha - (lower alkyl) thio-3-oxoandrost-4-en-17alpha-yl)propionic acid gamma-lactones and congeners



United States Patent US. Cl. 260-239.57 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Preparation of the captioned compounds-for example 3-(7a-ethylsulfinyl-l7fl-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3 on 17ayl)propionic acid -lactoneand their anti-inflammatory activity are disclosed.

This invention relates to 3-[17fi-hydroxy-7a-(lower alkyl)thio-3-oxoandrost-4-en-17a yl]propionic acid lactones and congeners, and to processes for the preparation thereof. More particularly, this invention provides new, useful, and unobvious steroids of the formula wherein Z represents thio, sulfinyl, or sulfonyl and R represents alkyl. Among the alkyls represented by R, lower alkyls are preferred, which is to say methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, sec.-butyl, tert.-butyl, pentyl, neopentyl, hexyl, isohexyl, heptyl, and like monovalent, saturated, acyclic, straightor branched-chain, hydrocarbon groupings of empirical formula:

wherein n represents a positive integer less than 8.

The compounds to which this invention relates are useful by reason of their valuable biological properties. Thus, for example, the compounds are anti-inflammatory, being adapted to inhibit the edema and granuloma characteristic of the inflammatory response to tissue insult.

The anti-inflammatory utility of the instant compounds is evident from the results of a standardized test for their capacity to inhibit the formation of granuloma tissue induced in adrenalectomized rats by implanted cotton. The procedure is a modification of one described by Dulin in Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 90, 115 (1955). Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 180-220 gm. are adrenalectomized, and their drinking water is thereafter replaced by aqueous 0.86% sodium chloride supplemented during the first 24 hours by glucose q.s. On the day after the adrenalectomy, 4 pellets of dental cotton weighing 5-7 mg. apiece are separately, subcutaneously, and bilaterally implanted in the pectoral and dorsal lateral neck region of each animal, whereupon the prescribed dose (initially, 20 mg. intragastrically) of compound to be tested, dissolved or suspended in a vehicle consisting of 0.5 ml. of either corn oil or a mixture of 20 ml. of aqueous 0.86% sodium chloride with 1 drop of polysorbate 80, is administered intragastrically or subcutaneously to each of 36 animals. A like group of animals to which is identically and concurrently administered vehicle alone serves as controls. This treatment ice is repeated the next day. The day after that the animals are sacrified; and the pellets, with associated granuloma tissue, are dissected, dried, and weighed. A compound is considered antiinflammatory if the mean weight of granuloma tissue in the group of animals treated therewith, adjusted to compensate for variations in dissection technique, is significantly (P5005) less than the corresponding weight in the control group. A total (2x025 mg.) dose of 0.5 mg. of hydrocortisone, administered subcutaneously, prevents the growth of granuloma tissue in this test.

Further evidence of the anti-inflammatory utility of the instant compounds is provided by a standardized test for their capacity to inhibit the edema induced in rats by the injection of carrageenin. The procedure is a modification of one described by Winter et al., Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med., 111, 544 (1962). Compound is administered subcutaneously or intragastrically-dissolved or suspended in 0.5 ml. of aqueous 0.86% sodium chloride, propylene glycol, a mixture of these vehicles, or corn oil-to each of 10 male rats weighing -130 gm. A like group of rats to which is identically and concurrently administered vehicle alone serves as controls. Precisely 1 hr. later, each animal is injected under the plantar surface of each hind foot with 0.1 ml. of an aqueous 1% solution of carrageenin (Marine Colloids, Inc., Type 402). A compound is considered anti-inflammatory if the average total circumference of the 2 hind feet in the group tested therewith, which is measured in arbitrary units 5 hr. after the carragee'nin injection, is significantly 750.05) less than the corresponding value in the control group.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that observations of activity in standardized tests for particular biological effects are fundamental to the development of valuable new drugs, both veterinary and human.

Preparation of the compounds of this invention proceeds by heating 3-(17 8-hydroxyandrosta-4,6-dien-3-on 17a-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone [US 2,900,383] in the presence of piperidine with an appropriate alkanethiol of the formula:

RSH

wherein R is defined as before. From the resultant 7aalkylthio campound, the corresponding alkylsulfinyl compound is obtained on prolonged contact with m-chloroperbenzoic acid in anhydrous benzene. Either the 70:- alkylthiol or the 7u-alkylsulfinyl compound, on contact with 40% peracetic acid in benzene, affords the corresponding 7a-alkylsulfonyl compound.

The following examples describe in detail compounds illustrative of the present invention and methods which have been described for the preparation thereof. However, the invention is not to be construed as limited there by, either in spirit or in scope, since it will be apparent to those skilled in the art of organic synthesis that many modifications, both of materials and of methods, may be practiced without departing from the purpose and intent of this disclosure. In the examples hereinafter set forth, temperatures are given in degrees centigrade and relative amounts of materials in parts by weight except as otherwise noted.

EXAMPLE 1 3-(7u-ethylthio-17;3-hydroxyandrost-4en-3-on-17a-yl) propionic acid 'y-lactone A mixture of 50 parts of 3-(l7fi-hydroxyandrosta-4,6- dien-3-on-l7a-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone, 26 parts of piperidine, and 252 parts of ethanethiol is heated and stirred at the boiling point under reflux for 26 hours, during which a crystalline precipitate forms. Sufiicient benzene is added to dissolved the precipitate, whereupon the solution is stripped of fluids by vacuum distillation. The

residue, upon recrystallization from ethyl acetate, affords 3 (7a ethylthio 17,8 hydroxyandrost 4 en 3 on l7a-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone which decomposes at 201205. The product has the formula mi) 11:40 H

EXAMPLE 2 3 -(7a-ethylsulfinyl-17 8-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3 -on- 1 7ayl)propionic acid -lactone To a solution of 120 parts of 3-(7rx-BthYlthlO-17B-IIY- droxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17a-yl)propionic acid -lactone in 2250 parts of dry benzene is added 61 parts of 85% mchloroperbenzoic acid. The resultant mixture is allowed to stand at room temperatures for 18 hours, whereupon the precipitate which forms is filtered off and the filtrate diluted with 6600 parts of hexane. The resultant precipitate is filtered OE and recrystallized from aqueous acetone to give 3-(7a-ethylsulfinyl-17 8-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on- 17u-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone which decomposes at 182- 190. The product has the formula soon-2n EXAMPLE 3 3-(7a-ethylsulfonyl-17 3-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17ayl) propionic acid 'y-lactone To a solution of 12 parts of 3-(7a-ethylthiol-17fl-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on?17a-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone in 225 parts of dry benzene is added approximately parts of 40% peracetic acid. The resultant mixture is cooled at 5 for 2 hrs., whereupon the precipitate which forms is filtered off and recrystallized from aqueous acetone to give 3-(7ot-ethylsulfonyl-17,8-hydroxyandrost-4-en- 3-on-17a-yl)propionic acid -lactone which decomposes at approximately 163-164". The product has the formula:

O "SOzCmH! EXAMPLE 4 3- (7 a-butylthiol 7B-hydroxyandrost-4- en- 3-onl 70C-yl) propionic acid -lactone A mixture of 8 parts of 3-(1'7;8-hydroxyandrosta-4,6- dien3-on-17u-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone, 4 parts of piperidine, and 40 parts of l-butanethiol is heated and stirred at the boiling point for 1% hrs., then allowed to stand at room temperatures for 8 days. Solvent is thereupon removed by vacuum distillation, and the residue is crystallized from ethyl acetate to give 3-(7a-butylthio- 17 8-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17a-yl)propionic acid lactone decomposing in the range 188-196. The product has the formula "SCHaCHgCHzCH EXAMPLE 5 3-(7a.-butylsulfiny1-17fi hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on- 17a-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone -SOGHsCHzCHaCH EXAMPLE 6 3 (7 u-butylsulfonyl-l 7f3-hydroxyan drost-4-en-3-on- 17a-yl)propionic acid 'y-lactone To a solution of parts of 3-(7a-butylthiol-17/8-hydroxy-androst-4-en3-on-17ot-y1)propionic acid 'y-lactone in 2700 parts of dry benzene is added 92 parts of 40% peracetic acid. The resultant mixture is allowed to stand at room temperatures for 25 minutes, then chilled at 5 for 60 minutes. The precipitate which forms is thereupon filtered off and washed with approximately 350 parts of benzene. The product thus isolated is 3-(7u-butylsulfonyl- 17/3-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17a.-yl)propionic acid 7- lactone decomposing in the range 160172. The product has the formula lie What is claimed is: 4. A compound according to claim 1 having the for- 1. A compound of the formula: mula :0 I 0 H O 5. A compound according to claim 1 which is 3-(7ozethylsulfinyl 17/3-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17u-yl)pro- O: Z- w r a y pionic acid 'y-lactone.

6. A compound according to claim 1 having the formula --SO-l0wer alkyl HaC wherein Z represents thio, sulfinyl, or sulfonyl.

2. A compound according to claim 1 having the formula: H30 I O- --S 02-10Wor alkyl 7. A compound according to claim 1 which is 3-(7a- O ethylsulfonyl 17fi-hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17a-yl)pro- H3O\\ pionic'acid 'y-lactone. A References Cited 3 1 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,254,074 5/1966 Arth et a1 260239.55 3,257,390 6/1966 Patchett 260239.55 O: --S-1ower alkyl LEWIS GOTTS, Primary Examiner ETHEL G. LOVE, Assistant Examiner 3. A compound according to claim 1 which is 3-(7ocs CL butythiol 17/3 hydroxyandrost-4-en-3-on-17u-yl)propi- 424 onic acid v-lactone.

my UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 5, 509,156 Dated April 97 Inventor(;!) Edward A. Brown It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, in the formula, H C H C Column 3, in the second and third'formulas,

Column line 33, "hte" should be the and in all three formulas in column L Columns 5 and 6, in all four formulas,

H- H C n j I Shoul be NA L t II!- 611;? r gil Edward M. Fletch r, Jr: W x: m a.

Arr Offi Oomnuono'r at Patio" 

